To celebrate World Oceans Day, Sunday 8th June 2014, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has teamed up with leading restaurants to raise awareness, combat illegal ‘pirate’ fishing and promote sustainable fisheries globally.

Over the past two years, 43 restaurants with 32 Michelin stars between them, have raised £20,000 for EJF’s Oceans Campaign. This year’s Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign is supported by over 40 restaurants and top chefs, including culinary greats such as Martin Wishart, Shaun Rankin and Andy Waters, as well as all nine branches of London’s Feng Sushi.

Participating restaurants will promote sustainable seafood and raise awareness of the need to protect marine wildlife and habitats, as well as demonstrating how sustainable sourcing and consumer choices can help protect oceans and keep seafood on our menus in the long-term.

Ormer leads the way in the Channel Islands; as well as raising awareness the restaurant has added an opt-out £1 donation onto every bill. 100% of funds raised will directly support EJF’s Oceans Campaign, which empowers coastal communities to combat illegal fishing and to protect their fish stocks and marine environments.

EJF’s work has resulted in prosecutions, fines and the eradication of illegal fishing vessels from areas reserved for artisanal fishers in Sierra Leone. This initiative for World Oceans Day aims to highlight how UK restaurants can make a huge difference closer to home by sourcing and choosing sustainable caught fish caught using environmentally friendly methods.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) or ‘pirate’ fishing has been identified as one of the most serious threats to the world’s fisheries. Globally, pirate fishing is estimated to be worth US $10-23 billion annually, representing up to an estimated 30% of the world’s total catch. By ignoring national and international laws and regulations, pirate fishing fleets are destroying marine habitats, decimating wildlife and undermining vulnerable coastal communities that depend upon natural marine resources for their food security and livelihoods.

EJF’s Oceans Campaign aims to eradicate ‘pirate’ fishing. EJF is working to create full transparency and traceability within seafood supply chains and markets and to actively promote improvements to policy-making, corporate governance and management of fisheries along with consumer activism and market-driven solutions.

Last year’s participant Tom Aikens said:
‘As a long term supporter of EJF’s Save the Sea campaign, I am delighted to take part in this growing initiative to protect the world’s oceans. I am proud to play a part in EJF’s inspiring work, protecting marine biodiversity, endangered wildlife and the vulnerable fishing communities in some of the world’s poorest nations.’

This year’s participant Shaun Rankin of Ormer Restaurant said:
‘The restaurant industry has a huge impact on the food chain so we have a responsibility to lead the way and support environmentally positive farming and ethical fishing. At Ormer we are dedicated to reducing food miles and purchasing seasonally and locally; most of our produce comes from our nine by five mile Island. Fish features predominantly on our menu and is sourced from local day boats who line-catch their fayre. As a fisherman myself it’s important to me that we minimise damage to marine wildlife and habitats. I will continue to champion lesser-known species in plentiful supply to bring diversity and sustainability to our eating culture in Jersey.’

Steve Trent, Executive Director of EJF, said:
‘EJF is proud to work with chefs and restaurants who are passionate about sourcing food ethically and sustainably. From those who avoid threatened fish or air freighting, to those who source from local fishermen or select species caught without damaging marine ecosystems, everyone involved in our Save the Sea Restaurant Campaign knows how important our seafood choices are in protecting ocean life and all the people whose livelihoods and food depend on it. This World Oceans Day we’re working together to defend the environment and human rights.’